Rainbow Girl & the Mud Boy
superhero / family adventure / dramatic comedy
middle grade novel (78,000 words)
feature Screenplay (102 Pages)
A disillusioned girl searching for her missing environmental activist parents discovers incredible powers that can change the world, but first, she must save a deeply troubled boy with destructive powers of his own.
“Spider-Verse meets Roald Dahl—with purpose.”
“It’s a fun and inventive story, and I like how you’ve used the format of a kid’s superhero movie to explore themes of the environment and social justice, while Rosy and Max are sweet, likeable characters whom it’s easy to invest in.”
What if saving the world… starts with saving each other?
Rosy Diaz hides a secret: she’s Rainbow Girl—an eco-superhero haunted by the disappearance of her activist parents and terrified she’ll never be enough to save the world they were trying to protect.
It’s no secret that Maxwell Mess is bullied, neglected, and dismissed as a freak. But when he discovers a terrifying muddy power—fuelled by rage and a fierce, protective love for animals—he vows to make the world listen, no matter the cost.
When Rainbow Girl and Mud Boy collide, their battle shakes the city—and each other—to the core. But as a darker force rises—devouring forests, poisoning rivers, and silencing voices—Rosy and Max must face a deeper truth: the planet’s last line of defence might just be two broken kids.
The pitch
A family adventure story with environmental, social justice, and mental health themes. Featuring young superheroes, rainbows, slime, a lot of mud, and a unicorn! Fantastical, but very much rooted in the real world, just with some extraordinary enhancements. Set in modern-day New York.
Like a Marvel or DC movie but switch the fighting, explosions and aggression for transformative rainbows, marauding mud jets and the unpredictability of children!
An ode to family adventure movies of the 80s/90s such as The Goonies, Home Alone and E.T. This story will appeal to kids of all ages, and some adults - particularly the ones who want some fun escapism with a strong dose of heartfelt humanity and zany comedy.
Inspired by Greta Thunberg and the impact she’s had in mobilising young people around the world, by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a rare shining light in politics, but mostly by a super cool 10-year-old slime entrepreneur I met in Brooklyn, and by my mud-loving nephews and niece!
A much earlier draft of the script was an Academy Nicholl Screenwriting Fellowship Quarterfinalist 2020.
the whirling rainbow prophecy
“There will come a day when people of all races, colors, and creeds will put aside their differences. They will come together in love, joining hands in unification. They will move over the Earth like a great Whirling Rainbow, bringing peace, understanding and healing everywhere they go. Many creatures thought to be extinct or mythical will resurface; the great trees that perished will return. All living things will flourish, drawing sustenance from the Earth.”
commercial potential
Slime content generated 25.4 billion views on YouTube in 2018. That’s 1.7M online slime video uploads from 800K different YouTube channels. The top two slime influencers saw an equal male / female split, many of their views came from those in the 25-34 age group. Kids love it, but there’s also a growing number of adults who find slime extremely fun, creative, and calming. Slime is a trend that keeps coming back around. There’s a popular slime museum in New York open right now!
Disney and Paramount own the most successful corporate YouTube slime channels. Nickelodeon have a long history with slime and now sell a range of branded slime products.
merchandising / commercial opportunities
Kids love slime, mud and unicorns!
Slime - Nickelodeon already sells slime products, but if I may be so bold, they lack a good branding story.
Mud toys - Mud kitchens are very popular, so are the utensils that go with them.
Onesies - Rainbow Girl’s costume is a rainbow colored onesie with ears and a unicorn horn. Harmony’s is dark blue with stars and musical notes. They wear gold star-shaped glasses and mirrored shades.
Unicorns - Iris the unicorn is equally lovable in her form as a downcast brown mule, or in all of her splendor as the Goddess of Rainbows.
Art / Painting Toys - Rainbow Girl paints giant murals on buildings, bridges etc.
Rides - The immersive rainbow room / flying over New York on Iris the unicorn.
“I am NOT mad! I, am MUD!!”
sequels, spin-offs and supporting content
The Rainbow Warriors Universe
The story is left wide open for a sequel, and also sets up opportunities for spin-offs with the supporting cast. For example, Rainbow Girl’s sidekick Harmony is given special powers that are teased towards the end of the film—when she plays music on her Keytar (a guitar with keys), a transformative and healing soundwave blasts out.
There’s a potential origin story for Ellie and Nelly, the eccentric couple who run the Rainbow Warriors Emporium of Enchantments - the place Rosy acquires the unicorn tears that are the source of her powers. Ellie and Nelly were environmental activists who became disenchanted until Rosy/Rainbow Girl gave them renewed hope.
It’s also set up to have supporting documentary-style content around the themes of the environment and mental health. Rosy’s foster sister Mia is a film student who makes documentaries throughout the film.
environment & politics
Millions of children around the world have been taking part in a global climate change protests in recent years. Protestors from 150+ countries have taken part in demonstrations aiming to put pressure on governments and decision-makers to do more about climate issues. Children are more politicised and environmentally aware than ever before. They are the ones who can repair the damage.
